Machine for sewing buttons to the uppers of boots or shoes.



J. MATHISON. MACHINE FOR SEWING BUTTONS TO THE UPPERS 0P BOOTS AND SHOES.

APPLICATION FILED MAB..12,1908. 902,828. Patented Nov. 3, 1903. 12 BHBETS-SHEET 1.

M12 ca ii f "7 W5 J. MATHISON.

MACHINE FOE SEWING BUTTOIW TO THE UPPEBS 0F BOOTS AND SHOES.

APPLIGATION FILED MAB..12,1908. 902,828. Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

12 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

, o I46 o 52 lfiitnesses: lnventar:

ifu fi I J. MATHISON. MACHINE FOB. SEWING BUTTONS TO THE UPPEBS Of Doom AND snons.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 12,1903. 902,828. Patented Nov. 3, 1908. 12 SKEETS flHEBT 3.

l'nventar" J. MATHISON.

MACHINE FOR SEWING BUTTONS TO THE UPPERS 0F BOOTS AND SHOES. APPLICATION FILED MAB..12,1908.

902,828. Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

12 sums-sum 4.

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J. MATHISON.

MACHINE FOR SEWING BUTTONS TO THE UPPERS OP BOOTS AND SHOES.

APPLIUATION FILED MAR. 12,1908.

902,828. Patented Nov. 3. 1908.

12 SKEBT8SHEHT 5.

Zliineasaa In van/tar:

J. MATHISON.

MACHINE FOR SEWING BUTTONS TO THE UPPEBS 0F BOOTS AND SHOES.

APPLIUATIOH FILED MAR. 12,1808.

Patented Nov. 3, 1908. 12 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

GU w Z Z J. MATHISON.

MACHINE FOR SEWING BUTTONS TO THE UPPERS 0F 3001's AND SHOES.

APPLICATION FILED MAB..12,1908.

902,828. Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

12 SHEETS-SHEET 7.

12 BHEETS-SHBET B.

Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

J. MATHISON.

APPLIGATIOH TILED MAE.12,1908.

Iv IAOHINB FOR SEWING BUTTONS TO THE UPPERS OI BOOTS AND SHOES.

1720677/507" l/zazuw,

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J. MATHISON.

MACHINE FOE SEWING BUTTONS T0 THE UPPERS OF BOOTS AND snons.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR.12,1908

Patented Nov. 3, 1908. 12 SHEBTS-SHE-ET 9.

(971% gfh Z (5 7 W J. MATHISUN.

MACHINE PUB SEWING BUTTONS TO THE UPPERS OF BOOTS AND SHOES.

APPLIGATION FILED MAB..12,1908.

902,828. Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

12 SHEETS-SHEET 1D.

20667166565 Inventor J'. MATHISON. MAUHINE FOB. SEWING BUTTON?) TO THE UPPERS OF BOOTS AND SHOE APPLICATION FILED MAR.12.1908.

902,828. Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

12 BKEE'I8SHEET 11.

ZUit/zesses:

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MACHINE FOB SEWING BUTTONS TO THE UPPERS 0F BOOTS AND SHOES.

APPLICATION FILED MAB.12,190B.

Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

12 SHEETS-SHEET 1 2.

witnesses:

Massachusetts, have invented new and useing shank-eyed buttons to the uppers of through the upper and throug 2o nected to each other, to the button, and to tween any two ad acent buttons.

needle passes a primary loop throu drawn UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH MATHISON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIONOR TO ROWEN-MATHISON MACHINERY COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

Tim UPPERS OF BOOTS OR SHOES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

Application filed March 12, 1908. Serial No. 420,657.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnru BTATIHSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of ful Improvements in Machines for Sewing Buttons to the Uppers of Boots or Shoes, of which the followln is a specification.

This invention re ates to machines for sewboots and shoes and is of that class of such machines in which the button is securedto the upper of a boot or shoe by two loops of the same thread, one of said 100 5 extending the eye of said button, while the other of said loops extends through the first loop and around and beneath the eye of the button, the two loops thus forming a flat knot and being so conthe upper of the boot or shoe that said button cannot be detached from the upper by any pull to which it may be, in practice, subjected, even though the thread be out be- The object of this invention is to provide 1 a machine of the character set forth which i shall be simple, durable and rapid and the l invention consists in a machine in which the of thread i throu h the up er and the eye of the button, then eeds sald button and the upper forward the full distance between the centers of two adjacent buttons while the needle is h the eye ofrthe button, and subsequentfy performs the remainder of the stitching operation in the manner hereinafter set forth. By thus feedin the material and .the button the total istanoe be- 40 tween the centers of the buttons, with the needleexte'nding through the eye of the button which is being fed, and then performing the stitching operation, the buttons are accurately s need and the eye-of the button is own close to the upper, making a very accurate, neat and secure piece of work.

This invention further consists in certain improved means for guiding the button as it is being fed by the needle from the raceway to a s ring-pressed button holder,

wherebysaid utton is held in positionwhile the lpop forming instrumentalities are in operatio In the machine of this invention the butthe bottom thereof against a suit. lile stop, from whence said button is remmed by the needle which first passes upwardly through the eye of the button and then feeds the button past said stop out of the raceway. It is, therefore, desirable that the center of the eye of the button should be in alinement with the needle when said needle moves upwardly to pass through said eye.

In practice, buttons having'difierent sized heads and different sized eyes are employed. This results in the center of the eyes of different styles of buttons assuming different positions relatively to the needle, and one of the objects of this invention is toprovide convenient means for adjusting the needle, so that the same will aline with the center of the eye of the lowermost button in the raceway, independent of the size of the head or the size of the eye of said button. \Vhen the space between the centers of buttons is increased or diminished, it becomes necessary to adjust both the needle and the raceway, and it is a further object of this invention to provide convenient means for securing this result, 6. e., for simultaneously adjusting the raceway and the needle so as to preserve the alinement of the needle with the eye of the lowermost button in said. raceway when the needle is making its upward movement to pass through said eye.

The invention finally consists in the combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the claims thereof.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved button sewin machine. Fig. 2 is a left hand side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the same. Fig. 4 is a. plan view of the same. Fi 5 is a detail section, partly in elevation, ta an -on line A-A, Fig 3, illustrating a portion of the mechanism by means of which a. reciprocatory motion is imparted to the needle and needle bar. Fig. 6 is a further detail of the mechanism illustrated in Fi 5 and is a. section, partly in elevation, ta en on line BB, Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a detail side elevation of the mechan-' ism for imparting a reciprocatory movement to the needle and needle bar, with one of the rock-shafts shown in section. Fi 8 is a sectional'el'evation taken on line C of Fig. 1, illustrating the mechanism by tons arefed down a-raceway and stopped at means of which a rocking movement is imparted to the needle and needle bar, and mechanism to impart a rocking movement to the raceway and button hopper. Fig. 9 is a detail section, partly in elevation, taken on line D-D of Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a left hand side elevation, in detail, of the presser foot mechanism, a portion of the frame and the driving slfaft and rock-shafts being shown in section. Fig. 11 is a sectional plan taken on line EE of Fig. 1, illustrating the thread clamping mechanism. Fig. 12 is a left hand side elevation, partly in section, on line F-F, Fig. 3, further illustrating the thread clamping mechanism. Fig. 13 is a detail left hand side elevation of the takeup mechanism, the frame and driving shaft being shown in section. Fig. 14 is a perspective view of theprimary hook and the mechanism whereby a rocking and lateral rec'iprocatory movement may be im parted thereto, this view being taken in the direction of the arrow a, Fig. 4. Fig. 15 is a detail side elevation of the secondary hook and the mechanism by means of which said hook is rocked. Fig. 16 is a perspective view of the button ejector and the spring-pressed holder for the button, as viewed in the direction of the arrow 0, Fig. 4. Fig. 17 is a detail section, partly in elevation, taken on line G-G, Fig. 2, illustrating the button pusher, the button holder and the work-rest. Fig. 18 is a detail side elevation of the brush rocking mechanism, the shaft being shown in section. Fig. 19 is a perspective view, as viewed in the direction of the arrow 6, Fig. 4, illus' trating a portion of the raceway, the workrcst, the presser foot, the. uide-way, the button holder, the button e1ector, and the primary and secondary loopers. Fig. 20 is a perspective view taken in the direction of the arrow 1) (Fig. 4) illustrating the button holder and its spring. Fig. 21 is a detail section, partly in elevation, taken on line H--H, Fig. 2, a button and the upper of a boot being shown in connection therewith, the upper being shown in section. Fig. 22 is a perspective view of the aide-way and work-rest. Figs. 23 to 29, inc usive, are en-" larged illustrative views of the button, illustrating in connection therewith the manner in wh ch the same is attached to the upper by the thread. Fig. is a detail sectional plan of the detent, together with a portion of the raceway and rocker frame to which said detent pivoted, taken on line KK,

ike numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

In the drawin s, is the fiamepf the machine, 36 the driving shaft to which the cams for operating the different mechanisms are fastened. The driviag shaft 36 is driven by a. ulley 37 which is connected to or detach from the driving shaft by a clutch 38 operated by means of a clutch slide 39 which is connected by means of a treadlerod 40 to a suitable treadle (not shown in the drawings).

The buttons 41, -11 are placed in a suitable hopper 42 and are fed down the raceway 43 from said hopper, said buttons being fed into the raceway by means of a brush feed located within the hopper, well known to those skilled in this art, and, therefore, not illustrated in the drawings, a rocking motion, however, being imparted to said brush feed by means of a link 44 (Fig. 18) which is connected to a lever 45 pivoted on the shaft 135 and having a cam roll 47 journaled thereon and projecting into a cam groove 87 in the cam blank 74, this cam groove 87 being utilized to drive both the brush rocking mechanism and the raceway rocking mechanism hereinafter described.

The buttons 41 descend the raceway until they arrive at the bottom thereof, the lowermost button 41' being stopped by contact with a spring-pressed detent 49 which is pivoted to a pin 50 fast to ears 51, 51 forming a portion of the raceway rocker frame 52, which rocker-frame is fastened to a rockshaft 53 journaled to rock in bearings 54, 54: forming a portion of the frame of the ma chine. A spring encircles the pivotal pin 50 and bears against the detent 49 so as to hold it in contact with the lowermost button 41 upon the raceway 13 (see Fig. 21) The lowermost button 41 is removed from the raceway, as hereinafter more fully described, to be carried forward and sewed to the upper by the needle 56 which has imparted to it, to adapt it to perform its different functions, a combined reciprocatory and lateral movement.

Referrin to Figs. 2, 5, 6 and 7, it will be seen that t e eye-pointed needle 56 is fastened to a needle bar 57 which is adapted to slide longitudinally thereof in bearings 58, 58 formed upon a rocker-arm 59. The needle bar 57 is connected by a link 60 to a rocker-arm 61 fast to a rock-shaft 62 which is journaled to rock in suitable bearin s in the frame of the machine (Figs. 5 an 7 To the opposite end of the rock-shaft 62 from that to which the arm 61 is fastened a rocker arm 63 is fastened, and to this arm 63 is attached a cam slide 64 slotted at 65 to straddle the driving shaft 36. A cam roll 66 is rotatably mounted upon the cam slide 64 and is driven by a cam 67 so that it will be readily seen that the cam 67 imparts a rockin movement to the arms 63 and 61 and throng the link 60 imparts a vertical re ciprocatory movement to the needleobar 57.

A lateral movement is imparted to the eye'pointed needle 56 and to its needle bar 57 by rocking the rocker-arm 59, upon which the needle bar is slidably mounted and to accomplish this rocking movement of the rocker-arm 59 the same is fastened to a rockshaft 68 journaled to rock in suitable bearings in the frame of the machine and having fastened to the opposite end thereof to that to which the rocker arm 59 is fastened a rocker-arm 69 (Fig. 8). A rocking motion is imparted to the arm 69 by a cam lever 70 which is pivoted to a stud 71 fast to the frame of the machine, and which has rotatably mounted upon its upper end a cam roll 72 which projects into a cam slot 73 in the cam blank 74. The lower end of the le ver 70 has a pin 7 5 fast thereto and mounted upon said pin 75 is a sliding block 76 which projects into a slot 77 formed in the arm 69.

A spring 78 bears against one side of the rocker-arm 69, the same being coiled around a screw 79 fast to the frame of the machine, so that the arm 69 is normally held by said spring in contact with an adjusting screw 80 which has screw-threaded en agement with a lever 81 which is rigidly fastened to the rock shaft 53. The lever 81 has an upwardly extending arm 82 provided with a slot 83 through which a clamp-screw 84 proects. The clamp-screw 84has screw-threaded engagement' with an arm 85 which is loosely mounted on the rock-shaft 53 and has at its outer free end a cam roll 86 rotatably mounted thereon and projecting into a cam groove87 formed in the cam blank 74.

The adjusting screw 80 is for the purpose of adjusting the needle laterally thereof until it shall aline perfectly with the center of the eye of the lowermost button 41 in the raceway, so that when the needle ascends. the same shall pass through the eye of said button preparatory to removing the same from the raceway upon the lateral rocking movement of said needle. The adjustment furnished by the clamp-screw 84 is for the purpose of increasing or diminishing, as may be desired, the feed of the stock so that buttons may be spaced at different distances on different uppers, as may be desired.

It will be noted that the cam slot 73 is of much greater width at one portion thereof than at another, the object of this being to allow the lever 70 to rock when the lever 81 is adjusted by means of the clamp-screw 84 and clamp-nut 84, thus moving the cam roll 72 toward or away from the center of the shaft 36 according to the direction in which the lever 81 is rocked or adjusted, the point to which the needle is rocked laterallybeing always the same, but the. point from which ;it starts, varying, to give different distances betweenthe buttons, according to the position of the lever 81, the screw 89, the rockerarm 69 and the roeker-arm 59.\ To illustrate, if the clamp-nut 84' is loosened and the lever 81 moved toward the left at its lower end, Fig. 8 the. clampnut 84' then beingtightened, this will move the rocker-arm: 69

toward. the left and consequently the rocker arm 59 and the needle and needle bar supported thereon toward the left or nearer to the point to which the button is to be eventually fed.

lVhen the rocker-arm G9 is moved toward the left, the lever 70, at its lower end, will be moved toward the left and at its upper end will be moved toward the right, carrying the cam-roll 72 outwardly from the center and, therefore, when the same is rocked by the cam 73 coming in contact therewith as the cam blank 74 rotates in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 8), it. will be seen that less throw will be given to the lever 70 and to the rocker arm 69 and rocker arm 59 and, therefore, to the needle bar and needle. If, on the contrary, the clamp-nut 84' is loosened and the upper end of the lever 81 moved toward the left, said lever 81, at its lower end, will be moved outwardly, allowing the rocker-arms 69 and 59, with the needle and needle bar, to move toward the right (Figs. 7 and 8), thus moving the lower end of the lever 70 toward the ri ht and the upper end thereof toward the left, together with the cam roll 72 thereon, so that when the rocking of the lever 70 is accomplished by the cam path '73, a greater movement will be imparted to the rockerarms 69, 59, needle bar and needle. Thus by adjustin the clamp-screw 84 toward the right or Teft (Fig. 8) a less or greater lateral movement, respectively, of the needle and, therefore, a corres ondingly less or greater movement of the eed of the stock will be obtained.

It will be seen by the construction hereinbefore described that when the rocker-arm 59 and needle 56 are set for a certain feed, by adjusting the lever 81 by means of the clam screw 84 and clamp-nut 84 the raceway Will be correspondingly moved to preserve its alinement with the needle, for the reason that the raceway 43 is fast to the rock-shaft 53 to which the lever 81 is fastened, so that any adjustment of the lever 81 necessarily adjusts the raceway as though it were a part thereof and, therefore, the raceway and needle will be moved to the same extent and in the same direction when the adjustment hereinbefore described by means ofthe clamp-screw 84 and clamp-nut 84' is effected.

By referenbe to Figs. 2, 10, 19 and 21, 'it will be seen that the upper 88 is pressed :1 ainst a work-rest 89 by a presser foot 90 w ich consists of a hollow recta lar portion 91 fastened to a slide 92, the ower end of which is referably c lindrical in form and extends t rough a coll ar 93 restin u 1 the outer end of a rocker-arm 94 w ic =is fastened to a rock-shaft 95. A spring 96 is interposed between a shoulder 9 upon the slide 92 and. the collar 93. Aroclnng motion is imparted tothe arm 94 and rock'- shaft by a reckon-arm 98 fast to the rockshaft 95 and connected to scam slide 99 which is slotted at 100 to straddle the shaft 3H. .1 cam roll 101 is mounted upon the slide 99 and projects into a cam slot 102 in the cam blank 103. so that it will be seen that the presscr foot is pressed with a spring pressure against the under side of the work shaft 05 and connected to a cam slide 90 upwardly, thus rocking the arms 98 and 91 upy unity and moving the slide 92 upwardly, together with the hollow rectangular portion 91, and pushing said rectangular portion against the under side of the work-rest 89, through the spring on, so that the material of the upper SH will be clamped against the 5 under side of the work-lest 85) with a spring pressure. Along the upper face of the rectangular portion 01 of the presser foot are two ribs 101. 101 which bear directly against the under side of the upper 88, the object of this construction of the upper portion of the presser foot being to make room for the l'iuttondly 105 (Fig. 21).

The lowermost button upon the upper is otfen very close to the point where the button-fly and vamp a re attached to that portion of the upper to which the buttons are sewed and, thereforr, where the presser foot is flat. across its enire surface, the corded buttonfly becomes inserted between the presser foot and the york-support. thus leaving the comparatix ely thin upper to which the button is to be sewed, unsup ported and unctamped by the presser foot, resulting, oftentimes. in the needle missing a button, with the result. that the first button is not sewed to the upper.

By the construction of my machine, in which the ribs form a norraw raised portion upon each side of the slot 106, which extends longitudinally of the presser foot and through which the needle passes, it will be seen that the comparatively thin or single thickness material of the upper 88 will be clamped firmly against the work-rest 80 by the raised portions 104. upon the pressen foot 90, while the button fly portion 105 finds room beneath the upper and above the 1 top of the presser fooi to be fed along without interfering with the sewing of the button upon the upper and this is true whether it be a right or a left hand upper.

The work-rest 89 is fastened to the overhanging arm 35 of the frame and has formed integral therewith, or, if preferred,

attached thereto a guide-way 107 in which there is a groove or slot 108 extending longitudinally of the guide-Way 107 from the bottom of the raceway 4.3, and in this grooved portion the head of the button rests as it is fed from the raceway away from the operator. A vertical flange 109 extending adjacent to the slot 108 forms a support for the eye of the button as it is being fed from the raceway to the button holder 110. Said button holder is illustrated in Fig. and

consists of two arms 111, 111 pivoted a112, 112 to the work-support. The arms 111, 111 are connected together by a cross-bar 113 which is extended toward the front of the machine to form a tongue 114, beneath which the head of the button passes as it is carried from the raceway to a slot 115 at one side of the cross-bar 113.

The slot 115 opens out of one side of the horizontal flange 110 upon said button holder and the holder is pressed downwardly upon the head of the button by a spring 117 which is coiled around a screw 11S fast to the work-rest, the free end of the spring bearing against the flange 116.

As hereinafter more fully described in the general operation of the machine, a primary looper 1'12) and. an independent secondary looper 1'20 are employed to manipulate the primary and secondary loops of thread. The primary looper 119 has a rocking motion imparted thereto andalso a motion to one side; the secondary looper 120 has a rocking motion only imparted thereto. The mechanism for imparting the rocking and ltlU movement to the primary looper will now be. described.

The looper 119 consists of a wire having a. hook 121 at its free end. Said looper projects through a rocker-shaft 122 and is adjustably fastened thereto by means of a setscrew 1:23. By reference to Fig. 11 it will be seen that the rocker-shaft.122 is journaled to rock in suitable hearings in the arm A rocking motion is imparted to the shaft 12:! by an arm 121 which is fast. to the rocleshaft 122 and has sliding engagement with a pin 125 fast to a cam slide 120 which is slotted at 127 to straddle the shaft. and has a cam roll mounted thereon and projecting into a. cam path 129 in one face of the cam blank 130. It will be seen that when the cam slide 120 is reciprocated, it will, through the pin 125, impart a rocking motion to the arm 121, to the rock-shaft 19-2 and to the primary looper 119. A spring 131 encircles the shaft and bears at one end against the arm and at the other end against the hub of the arm 121. thus holding said arm always in contact with the cam path 132 formed upon the edge of the cam blank 130. The irregularity of this am path imparts a reciprocatory nmvement to the arm 1% which is held thereagainst by the spring 131 and, therefore, imparts a reciprocatory movement to the shaft 122 in its bearings in the frame and a side movement to the primary looper 119.

The secondary looper 120 has a rocking motion imparted thereto by the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 15. Said looper consists of a Wire bent to form a hook 133 at its free end and adjustably fastened by a screw 134 to a rocker-sliaft 135 journaled to rock in hearings in the arm 35 of the frame 35. The rocker-shaft 135 has an ,arm 136 fast button through the thereto which is pivotally connected to a i cam slide 137 slotted at 138 to straddle the shaft 36, a reciprocat'ory motion bein imparted to said cam slide by a 'cam-rofi 139 mounted thereon and projecting into a cam groove 140 in the cam blank 130.

At a certain time in the operation of the machine, the button is ejected from beneath the button holder and out of the groove in the guide-way and through the seconda loop and is moved from a position in whic the eye is horizontal to a position in which said eye is substantially vertical. The mechanism for performin this operation is particularly illustrated in Figs. 16, 17 and 19 and consists of a button ejector 141, said button ejector consisting of a slide 142 adapted to slide at its forward end in a slot 143 in the frame arm 35, the rear end of said slide having an enlarged block portion Hithereon which is slidably supported upon the rock-shaft 135. A shaft and bears at one end against the block 14.4 and at the other end against the arm 35', thus holding the block portion 144 of the slide 142 against a cam 146 which is fast to the shaft 36.

An arm 147 extends downwardly from the slide 142 and has a right angle projection 148 thereon which is beveled at 149 on the front end thereof, the lower portion of said arm being adapted to slide upon the workrest 89 between the arms 111, 111 of the button holder and thus to engage the head of the button -11 as it is held beneath the but ton holder in the groove 108 of the guideway 107. As the slide 142 is moved forwardly the beveled end 149 of the urn] 147 engages the head of the button 41 and pushes saidbutton out of the groove 1.08 and out of the slot 115 in the button holder and tips said button until the eye assumes a vertical position, at the same time pushing the secondary loop, all. as hereinafter more fully set forth.

At a certain time machine, it is necessary that the slack in the thread should be taken up by a take-up mechanism, and this take-up mechanism is particularly illustrated in detail in Fig. 13, and consists of a take-u lever 150 fast to a roclrshaft 151 journale to rock in hearings in the frame 35, and to which a rocking motion is imparted by an arm 152 fast thereto and connected to a cam slide 153 slotted at 154 to straddle the shaft 36. A (am roll. 155 rotatably mounted on the cam slide 153 and rojects into a cam groove 156 in the cam lank 103, so that it will be seen that a rockin motion will be imparted to the rock-she t 151 when a reciprocatory motion is imparted to the cam slide 153 by the cam 156, thus taking up the slack in the thread at the desired time in the operation of the machine.

spring 145 encircles the.

in the operation of the It is necessary i chine that at certain times the thread. as it passes from the spool to the needle, should be locked therebetween, in order to properly manipulate the same in the taking up of the slack and in drawin taut the primary and secondary loops, and for this purpose the thread-clam 157 is provided, the same being particuliirly illustrated. together with the mechanism by which it is operated, in Figs. 11 and 12, and 13. This thread clamp consists of a slide 158 having a right angle upward extension or clamping jaw 159, said clamping jaw extending upwardly adjacent to the frame 35 and bracket 160. The thread 161 extends through an eye 162 in the slide 158, thence u wardly between the clamping jaw '159 an frame 35 and between the clamping jaw 159 and bracket 160 through a thread-eye 163, through another threadeye 164, both of said thread-eyes fast to the bracket 160. Said thread then extends through a slot or eye 165 in the upper end of the take-up lever 150 and thence through the guide-eye 166 formed in the upper end of a sprin 167 fast to the lever 150 (see Figs.2 an 13).

The slide 158 is moved toward the right or left (Fig; 11) to clamp the thread or to unclamp the same from the frame of the machine by a lever 168 ivoted at 169 to the frame 35, and connected by a spring 170 to the slide 158. A rocking motion is imparted to the lever 168 by a link 171 which is connected to the lower end of a lever 172 pivoted at 173 to the frame of the machine and having a cam roll 174 mounted upon its upper end and projecting into a cam groove 17 5 in the cam blank 103.

It will be seen that when the lever 17 2 is rocked by the cam 175, the link 171 connected to said lever and to the lever 168, will rock said leverand move the slide 158 toward the right, thus clamping the thread 161 between the right angle portion 159 and the frame by a spring pressure imparted thereto through the spring 170, and thus the thread will be clamped between the needle and the spool at the proper time to hold the thread while the take-up lever or needle is tightening the stitch, and taking up the slack.

A rocking motion is imparted to the raceway and to the button hopper by the cam 87, lever and rock-shaft 53 to which the lever 85 is fastened by means of the clampbolt 84 and clamp-nut 84', and the lever 81 which is rigidly fastened to said rock-shaft 53 (Fig. 8). v

The objects of rocking the raceway are first to move the same at its lowermost end away from the primary hook as said hook swings teward the operator to take the primary loop of thread, and second, to jar the buttons on the racewav so that they will more readily slide into place and thus insure the lowermost button upon the raceway being in position so that the eye thereof shall receive the needle as it moves upwardly through the material with the primary loop.

The general operation of the mechanism hereinbefore specifically described is as follows: Assuming the parts to be in the positions illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, the operator ships the clutch to throw the pulley into operative connection with the driving or ram shaft 36. The needle rises through the upper 88 of the shoe and through the eye of the button 41, said button being at that time the lowermost button in the race way 4 thus carrying the thread in the form of a primary loop (1 through the eye 41 of the button 41', as illustrated in perspective diagrammatic view in Fig. 23. At this time the upper is clamped between the presser foot 90 and the bottom of the work-rest 89. The needle having passed upwardly through the eye of the button, the presser foot 90 descends slightly, thus releasing the upper so that it may be fed. A rocking motion is now imparted to the rocker-arm 59 by the mechanism hereinbefore described, and this moves the needle bar 57 and needle 56 toward the left (Fig. 2), thus rclnovi the button 41' from the lower end 'of t 1e raceway, pushing aside the detent 49 and feedin the button along the guide-way 107, the head of the button sliding in the groove 108 in said guide-way while the eye of said button is supported upon the vertical flange 109 of said guide-way, the needle passing along laterally thereof in the slot 106 in the presser foot 90 and in the slot 176 in the work-rest 89 to, the full extent of the button feed or distance between the centers of the button eyes.

The button, as it leaves the raceway, passes under the inclined under edge of the' tongue 114 of the button holder 110, and at the end of the movement of the needle the button is brought into alinement with the slot or opening 115 in the flange 116 of said button holder, the spring 117 allowing the button holder to yield while the button head is moving therebeneath and acting to press the button holder downwardly upon the button head, so that when the button head arrives in alinement with the slot 115, said button holder will be pressed downwardly and the head of the button will project upwardly sli htly into the slot 115, all as illustrated in i s. 16 and 19. The upper is now clam ed an out t e primary loop a of thread, on the right hand side of the needle. This primary loop is taken from the needle by the primary looper or hook 119, which is moved forwardly toward the o erat-or, entering the primary loop at the right hand side of the needle. Said primary loop is held by the needle descends and throws the looper 119 while the needle descends through the material to its lowest point, the primary loop (Z being carried by the primary looper toward the operator and slightly to the left of the line of feed, as shown in Fig. 24. The needle having descended to its lowest point then moves toward the operator the length of the short stitch. The needle then moves upwardly through the upper 88, outside and in front of the eye of the button 41 and throu h the first loop d, which is at this time hel by the primary looper and spread in the ath of the needle by reason of the forwar and side movement of said primary looper.

When about half way up the needle rests and the primary looper moves still farther sidewise to the leftof the line of feed and then moves backwardly from the operator, releasing the primary loop of thread from the hook of the looper and leaving the thread around the needle, as illustrated in Fig. 25, in so far as the loops of thread and the button are concerned.- The thread clamp 157 then clamps the free end of the thread and the needle continues its upward movement and draws up all of the slack of the thread of the first stitch. The thread clamp is then released and the needle passes downwardly,

throwing out a secondary loop f to one side of the needle, so that the same may be taken by the secondar hooked looper 120, which enters the loop t irown out by the needle'and draws it out in the direction of the line of feed to form a triangle, as shown in Fig. 26, the triangular formation of the loop f being obtained by the thread being held by the needle at the angle 1" of the triangle, said loop bein held by the secondary looper 120 at the ang e f of the triangle and by the material of the upper at the angle f of the upper, where the secondary loop passes through said u per. The secondary hook now moves slight y toward the front or toward the operator, the needle descends slightly, these two operations loosening up on the thread, and the button is then pushed through the triangleby the button ejector or pusher 1. 11, which pushes the button from under the button holder 110 out of the guide-way 107 and through the secondaryloop f, simultaneously tipping the button until the eye -11 is moved from a horizontal position to a substantially vertical position, as illustrated in Fig. 27. Now the needle descends to its lowest positiou and as it descends the thread su plyis clamped and held tightly. The secon ary hook 120 stands in a rigid position while the thread take-up lever moves forward and lpulls the thread while said thread is still old by the secondar looper 120 and while it is rigidly clampe by the thread-clamp 157, thus taking up all of the remaining slack of the first stitch and drawing the pri mary and the secondary loops and the eye of 13-.

the button down near the hole made by the needle in its first upward movement, as shown in Fig. 27, leaving the button e e at right angles with the line of feed and rawing said primary and secondary loops tight together near the first hole made by the needle in its first ascent. The secondary loop is now cast off of the secondary looper, the take-up moves a second time to draw up the slack of the second stitch or to draw up the. slack of the second loop and to draw the loops tightly down against each other and around the eye of the button, as illustrated in Figs. 28 and 29, successively, forming a flat knot. The primary loo of the flat knot passes through the eye 0. the button and the secondary loop of the knot passes through the primary loop, around the eye of the button outside thereof and around the primary loop where it passes up through the leather.

The particular manner, hereinbefore described, in which the thread is held and tightened by the looper and by the take-up, respectively, prevents any puckering or fwrinkling of the uppsr between the buttons said upper and through and the thread can cut between any two buttons without any danger of the button becoming detached from the upper, as the loop wit iin a loop, one of said loops passing through the eye of the button and the other around the same, forms an independent locking flat knot one part of which looks the other against becoming detached from the button or from the upper.

Particular attention is called to the movement of the primary looper 119, which has a five motion rotary movement, as hereinbefore described, viz., first, the hook moves toward the operator and past the needle on the right hand side of the needle; second, said 1 er takes a side motion to the left, directlylietween the needle and the o orator; third, a second side motion to the eft and past the needle and line of feed; fourth, said ook is oscillated backwardly or away from the operator and past the needle on the left hand side of the needle; and" fifth, the same is moved toward the right back of the needle to its first osition.

Having 1: us described my invention, what I claim and desire by Letters Patent to secure is: 1

1. In a machine for sewing buttons to the upper of a boot or shoe, means for holding abutton, instrumentalities adapted to pass a primary loop of thread through said upper and through the eye of said button and for feeding the upper and the button the total distance desired between the centers of the e es of two adjacent buttons while the need e is throu h the eye of the button, said instrumentalities adapted to as a secondary loop of the same three. through said primary loop,

means to pass said button through said secondary loop, and means for drawing the secondary loop in the direction in which the material is fed.

2. In a machine for sewingbuttons to the upper of a. boot or shoe, means for holding a button,.instrumentalities adapted to pass a. primary loop of thread through said upper and through the eye of said button and for feeding the upper and the button the total distance desired between the centers of the eyes of two adjacent buttons while the needle is through the eye of the button, said instrumentalities adapted to subsequently pass a secondary loop of the same thread through said upper and throu h said mary loop, means for drawing tie secon ary 100) in the direction in which the material is ed, means to pass said button through said secondary loop, means for clamping the free end of the thread, said instrumentalities adapted 'to draw up the slack thread of the first loop while said secoi'ulary loop is being held. a

3. In a machine for sewing buttons to the upper of a boot or shoe, means for holding a button. instrumentalities adapted to pass a primary loop of thread through said upper and through the eye of said button and for feeding the up an and the button the total distance desired between the centers of the eyes of two adjacent buttons while the needle is through the eye of the button. said iustrmnentalities adapted to subsequently pass a secondary loop of the same thread through said upper and through said primary loop, means for drawing the secondary loop in the direction in which the material is fed, means to pass said button through said secondary loop, means for clamping the free end of the thread, and means for drawing up the slack thread of the first loop, while saidsecondary loop is being held, whereby the eye of the button is turned at right angles to the line of feed, adjacent to the hole made by the first rise of the needle.

4. The combination, in a machine for sewing shank eyed buttons to boots, shoes. gaiters or other fabrics, of mechanism for holding a button in position, mechanism for clamping and unclampiug the fabric, a needle, and mechanism adapted to impart a reciprocatory motion thereto, mechanism adapted to move the needle laterally thereof while the needle is through the e e of the button, whereby the fabric and tie button are moved the total distance desired between the centers of'the eyes of two adjacent buttons, and instrumentalities adapted to sub sequeutly form the stitches, whereby the button is attached to the fabric.

5. The combination, in a machine for sewing shank-eyed but-tons to boots, shoes, gaiters and other fabric, of means for bolding a button in position, mechanism for clamping and unclamping said fabric, an eye pointed needle, and operating mechanism to impart a reciprocatory and lateral movement thereto, whereby a primary loop may be passed through the eye of said button and said fabric may be fed while the needle is through the eye of the button and whereby a secondary loop of thread may be subsequently passed through said fabric at one side of said eye, a primary looper, and mechanism adapted to impart a five motion movement thereto around the median axial line of said needle, viz., 1st, to rock said looper toward the front of said machine and past the needle on the right hand side thereof; 2d, to impart to said looper a side motion to the left directly between the needle and the front of the machine; 3d, to impart to said looper a second side movement to the left and past the needle; 4th, to oscillate said 100 er backwardly and past the needle on the lhft hand side thereof; and 5th. to return said looper to its first position back of the needle relatively to the front of the machine, a secondar looper, mechanism adapted to move sai secondary looper to take the secondary loop from said needle, and means to push said button through said secondary loop.

6. The combination, in a machine for sewing shank-eyed buttons to boots, shoes, gaiters and other fabric, of means for holding a button in position, mechanism for clamping and unclamping said fabric, an eye pointed needle and operating mechanism to impart a reciprocatory and lateral movement thereto, whereby a primary loop may be passed through the eye of said button and said fabric may be fed and whereby a secondary loop of thread may be subsequently passed through said fabric atone side of said eye, a primary loopeia'and mechanism adapted to impart a five motion mo vement thereto around the median axial line of said needle, viz., 1st, to rock said looper toward the front of said machine and past the needle on the right hand side thereof; 2d, to impart to said looper a side motion to the left directly between the needle and the front of the machine; 3d, to impart to said looper a second side movement to the left and past the needle; 4th, to oscillate said looper backwardly and past the needle on the left hand side thereof: and 5th, to return said looper to its first position back of the needle relatively to the front of the machine, an independent secondary looper, mechanism adapted to move said secondary looper totake the secondary loop from said needle, means to push said button through said secondary loop, said means for moving the secondary looper also adapted to hold said secondary looper rigidly in position, and a take-up mechanism, whereby all of the slack of the first loop may be drawn up while the secondary loop is held by the secondary looper back of the needle and the eye of said button drawn down against the fabric, with the button in an upright position and with the button eye at right angles to the line of feed of the material.

7. In a machine for sewing buttons to the upper of a boot or shot. means for holding a button, instrunzentalities adapted to pass a primary loop of thread through said upper and through the eye of said button, means to move said upper and button the total distance desired between the centers of the eyes of two adjacent buttons while the needle is through the eye of said button, means to subsequently hold said primary 100 while said instrumentalities pass a secondary loop of the same thread through said upper and through said primary loop, means to hold said secondary loop, and means to pass said button through said secondary loop.

upper of a boot or shoe, means for holding a button, a needle, mechanism to impart a rcciprocatory motion to said needle, whereby a primary loop of thread may be carried through said upper and through the eye of said button, a primary looper, mechanism to impart a rocking motion to said looper to receive said primary loop while said needle retreats, mechanism to impart a lateral movement to said looper, mechanism to move said needle laterally thereof after it has retreated through the upper, whereby upon a second forward movement of said needle through the upper, a secondary loop of said thread is passed through said upper and primary loop, an independent secondary looper, mechanism to impart a rocking motion to said secondary looper to receive said secondary loop while said needle retreats a second time. and means to pass said button through said secondary loop.

9. In a machine for sewing buttons to the upper of a boot or shoe, means for holding a button, a needle, mechanism to impart a a primary loop of thread may be carried through said upper and through the eye of said button, a primary looper, mechanism to impart a rocking motion to said looper to receive said primary loop while said needle retreats, nicchanism to impart. a lateral movement to said looper, mechanism to move said needle laterally thereof after it has retreated through the upper, whereby upon a second forward movement of said needle through the upper, a secondary loop of said thread is passed through said upper and primary loop, an independent secondary looper, ,.n 1echanism to impart a rocking motion to said secondary looper to receive said sec- 8. In a machine for sewing buttons to the reciprocatory motion to said needle, whereby 

